April 25, 2000 6:43 PM AP

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Lisa Stone was ready to move into Division I coaching. All she needed was the right opportunity.

She found it with Drake.

Stone, who won 82 percent of her games in 12 seasons at Division III Wisconsin-Eau Claire, was introduced to a standing ovation Tuesday as the new women's basketball coach at Drake.

After being courted by other Division I schools in recent years, Stone said Drake had exactly what she was seeking.

"Every year there's been some phone calls," she said. "But this one was different. Instead of dangling a carrot, I had the whole entree in front of me. When I stood on the campus and I met the people, this fit. It's the right fit for Lisa Stone."

Stone succeeds Lisa Bluder, hired as coach at Iowa on April 7, and becomes just the fourth coach in the Bulldogs' program.

Stone, a former Iowa player, was 277-59 at Eau Claire with 11 20-victory seasons and 11 NCAA tournament appearances. Her team went 28-1 last season, losing to eventual national champion Washington University in the NCAA's round of 16.

Stone, who also coached three seasons at Cornell College at Mount Vernon, said she is eager to make the jump from Division III, where players do not receive athletic scholarships.

"I know the competitiveness out there. I know the strengths of Iowa," she said. "I know the strengths of the conference and it does not scare me."

Drake returns four starters from a team that went 23-7 and won the Missouri Valley Conference. Drake has played in the NCAA tournament four of the last six years.

"I've been dealt a great hand," Stone said. "If you're a gambler, you're going to gamble real high on the hand that I've been dealt."

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